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BASICS
With a fully built town and all upgrades, you can recruit 2370 Combat Points per week, ranking fourth among all towns. (Sylvan gives 2650, Conflux - 2588, Tower - 2420; in last place is Inferno - 2035). For your CP, you pay 24530 Gold + 2 Crystals, which averages to 10.35, and this is quite cheap (only Sylvan is cheaper at 10.05, while Inferno is 13.8). All your creatures deal decent damage in attack but are very vulnerable in defense. Building the town is cheap, but only in terms of money. To build all upgraded dwellings (including the fort, tavern, castle, and capitol), you need 80200 Gold (the lowest of all), but this is supplemented by 132 Ore (the highest of all), second place for wood - 137 (after Fortress) and many Crystals (50). On the other hand, you only need 5 Gems and have absolutely no need for Mercury or Sulfur. Building all structures in the Stronghold is also very cheap - 92200 Gold.
HEROES
Your heroes are the Barbarian (might) and the Battle Mage (magic). Battle Mages develop their primary skills balancedly, while Barbarians are pure representatives of an attacking style, and their Knowledge and Power remain underdeveloped. A typical 19th-level Battle Mage looks like 7 5 6 5, and a Barbarian - 12 5 4 3 (without any artifacts or visiting map objects). All Barbarians have the secondary skill Offense, all Battle Mages have the Wisdom skill. Barbarians cannot learn Water Magic, and Battle Mages cannot learn Navigation. Barbarians rarely master Diplomacy, Eagle Eye, Financier, Fire Magic, Intelligence, Navigation, First Aid, Necromancy, Scholar, Sorcery, and Wisdom. There are high chances of getting Air Magic, Earth Magic, Training, Luck, and Mysticism. Battle Mages infrequently study Financier, Fire Magic, Luck, and Necromancy, while Ballistics, Eagle Eye, Intelligence, Logistics (highest probability), Offense, Sorcery, and Tactics are characteristic for them. Stronghold heroes usually have a secondary skill set like this: Wisdom, Earth Magic, Air Magic, Logistics, Tactics, Ballistics, Offense, and Resistance. Resistance is very important, as its presence means that if the enemy uses mass spells on your units, NOT ALL of them will be affected by the magic. On maps dominated by very rugged terrain, the Pathfinder skill will be useful. If there is a chance to learn Water Magic (from the University or Witch's Hut) - do it! If you have a choice, take a Battle Mage rather than a Barbarian. In the process of reaching tenth level, a Barbarian will receive at most one increase to Power or Knowledge (but not both at once). There is an opinion that Battle Mages are ineffective due to restrictions in building the Mages' Guild, but this is incorrect. You need expert skill in Air Magic, Mass Haste and expert in Earth Magic plus some amount of Power and Knowledge so that the spells you cast last more than one turn, and so that more than one spell can be cast in a single battle. Thus, Battle Mages are more acceptable. The best choice is Terrek, but Saurug, Dessa, Wei, and Gundula are not inferior. Everyone knows how important it is to increase the hero's primary skills. Another important thing: until you have the advanced Town Portal spell, you need to have AT LEAST TWO GOOD HEROES. One for exploration and capturing objects, another for defending the starting town. One of the problems when playing on impossible level is that you cannot afford to take experience from found treasure chests in the first week, as you need gold. This leaves your hero without secondary skills and without primary growth. Therefore, you must use every opportunity to train the hero. FIGHT ALL ROAMING MONSTERS that you can defeat, even for 100 - 200 experience points. Visit every object. Do not pass by Mills, as they give you 1000 (500) Gold and resources once a week. Capture any mine encountered on the way, even at the cost of most of your meager army. It will pay off. Take every artifact, but only if it is free of charge, that is for nothing (for free). Artifacts can be bought only after you have a Capitol.
SPELLS
Magic is a blind spot for you; do not forget about it. You can build only 3 levels of the Mages' Guild, your Might hero does not always study Wisdom, and your Magic hero usually has only two schools - Air and Earth. Therefore, your task in any scenario is to capture an enemy castle with a well-developed Mages' Guild. You need new spells! Besides 4th and 5th level spells, you will not encounter two necro-spells (Raise Dead and Death Wave) in the Stronghold, nor Curse. Barbarians cannot learn Water Magic, and it is also rare for Battle Mages, so your heroes will not be able to use any mass spells except Haste and Slow. Therefore, if the enemy uses, for example, Mass Curse, you will not be able to counter this with either Mass Heal or Mass Dispel. With a three-level limit on the Mages' Guild, you will have very few useful spells. The most important is Haste. Slow is also useful, and Stone Skin and Shield are good in prolonged battles. When storming castles or in battles with armies equipped with good shooters (Tower, Dungeon, or Castle), Air Shield (mass, of course) can be useful. Anti-Magic helps in many situations; in some cases when storming castles, Earthquake will be useful. Even if you manage to get Water Magic, Teleport will not be that useful. The only benefit of its use is trying to move Behemoths across the castle wall, but even in such a situation other spells can be used with greater efficiency.
CREATURES
Goblins/Hobgoblins Goblins and their swift brethren, Hobgoblins, are among the weakest first-level creatures. However, they are some of the fastest in their class, which can be significant in the late stages of the game when Hobgoblins accumulate in large numbers. Although upgrading the Goblin Barracks is very useful, it requires 5 Wood and 5 Ore—resources that are scarce early in the game—so you will not be able to do it quickly. You should not buy Goblins in the early stages of the game. Let them accumulate so they can later be hired as Hobgoblins. The high speed of the latter, combined with their numbers, is very useful in the late stages of the game. If the opponent does not stop them, they can even block enemy shooters by utilizing the same reduction in attack power that occurs in melee combat. Hobgoblins can also be used to initiate attacks on strong enemy units, absorbing their counterattack, or to finish off groups already attacked in the current round. Wolf Riders/Wolf Warriors These creatures vividly demonstrate both the strength and weakness of the Stronghold. While Wolf Riders are merely very weak 2nd-level units with average speed, Wolf Warriors are fast-attacking monsters who are extremely vulnerable when they are the ones being attacked. The problem is that you cannot upgrade them quickly, as you first need to upgrade the Goblin Barracks (costing 5 Wood and Ore), and only then find another 5 Wood and Ore, which is difficult to achieve early in the game. As with Goblins, do not hire Wolf Riders in the early stages; they are very vulnerable. Increase their numbers, perform the upgrade, and hire only Wolf Warriors. High speed, double attack, and a relatively high Attack stat (which, when doubled, exceeds that of many Stronghold creatures) make Wolf Warriors dangerous to any enemy creature. If you use them for the first attack of the round on an enemy stack, ensure they can destroy at least two-thirds of the creatures in it with the first hit. But that is in theory. In practice, such a case occurs very rarely, so try to destroy at least a quarter of the enemy stack with the Wolf Warriors' first strike. There is an exception to this rule: you can attack without dealing such damage if the strike is against enemy shooters who have limited strength in melee combat. However, it is still better to strike stacks that have already been attacked, as the double attack of Wolf Warriors will be most effective due to the absence of an enemy counterattack. Let's provide an example of the offensive and defensive capabilities of Wolf Warriors against high-level monsters. Suppose 60 WW encounter 10 Scorpicorns. The Scorpicorns have already been attacked this round, so they will not counterattack. The Attack/Defense ratio between them is -6, but it should be noted that the attack power of a Stronghold hero is significantly higher than the defense of an underground hero, so we will assume this ratio to be zero. Both hits delivered by WW will deal 180-240 damage each, which would destroy an average of 5 Scorpicorns—not bad at all. Let's see what happens if the Scorpicorns counterattack. The first hit from WW kills 2 Scorpicorns; the remaining 8 counterattack. The Attack/Defense ratio here will be 11, and since the defensive capabilities of Stronghold heroes will not exceed the attack power of an Overlord (or may even be lower), it could increase further. Thus, 8 Scorpicorns will deal 112-160 damage (or even 173-248), destroying 17-24 WW with a probability of paralyzing them. The remaining ~40 WW deliver the second hit (120-160 damage), destroying another 2 Scorpicorns. As we can see, in the second example, WW attack with almost the same efficiency, but their losses amount to a third of the total number, which is quite significant. Of course, when encountering an underground army, you may find that Evil Eyes are a much more acceptable target for WW, regardless of whether they counterattacked this round or not. Let 60 WW attack 45 EE. The Attack/Defense ratio is +6 (with the same heroes as above), so the first hit from WW will cause 234-312 damage, destroying 10-14 EE (roughly a quarter of the total). The Attack/Defense ratio for EE will be +5, so the remaining 33 EE will deal 124-206 damage, killing 12-20 WW (we'll assume 16). The surviving 44 WW will deliver 171-228 damage on the second attack, killing another 8-10 EE. Thus, WW destroyed half of the enemy stack while losing only a quarter of their own (remember that EE do not lose strength in melee combat!). Moreover, every Stronghold hero can be an expert in Offense, which would add 30% to the WW's attack! Ideally, WW should attack an enemy stack already hit by Magik Ogres, but this is not always possible due to the latter's low speed. To enhance the attacking ability of WW, you can split Magik Ogres into two stacks, one of which casts Bloodlust on the WW, but this is also not always possible because in most cases you will lack magical initiative. If you leave WW exposed to a hit, they will melt before your eyes like ice under the sun, so try to protect them by all possible means. All the above means that WW are not "trash" monsters like many low-level creatures (such as Zombies). On the battlefield, WW can perform various tasks, often turning the tide of battle in your favor. Orcs/Orc Chieftains The first of your two shooting units is essentially a 2nd-level monster, only with increased HP. They do not deal much damage, and the 20 HP of Chieftains is unimpressive due to their low defense level. When you get the Orc Tower, upgrade it as quickly as possible, and if you buy Chieftains, buy them in large numbers. With a speed of 5, they will most often shoot from a significant distance, dealing only half of the potential damage. In large numbers, however, they are more effective, as they force enemy monsters to close in on them faster, allowing your Magik Ogres to make their presence felt sooner. Ogres/Magik Ogres Ogres, and especially Magik Ogres, have a good amount of durability. Unfortunately, building their dwelling requires many resources—20 Wood—so this likely won't happen before the third week. Before building the Ogre Fort, ensure you have enough resources for a quick upgrade. Do not purchase ordinary Ogres. Magik Ogres not only have 50% more HP and +1 speed but also possess the ability to cast Bloodlust on friendly troops once per round (no more than three times per battle). If your army has Magik Ogres and not all 7 stacks are occupied, it makes sense to split them into two (or even more) stacks: one containing the main mass, and others with 1-2 Magik Ogres for casting spells (or to be used as kamikazes to absorb an enemy counterattack). The high attacking and defensive capabilities of Ogres and Magik Ogres allow them to deal serious damage to the enemy. They are very good for delivering the first strike, but unfortunately, their speed is low; therefore, they are primary candidates for the Haste spell (or Mass Haste), but if for some reason you don't do this, position them between Cyclops and Orcs to serve as bodyguards for the shooters. In general, Magik Ogres should be brought into battle as quickly as possible, as they represent a serious threat even to own non-strong 7th-level monsters (such as Ghost Dragons). Rocs/Stormbirds These are your most important monsters. It is necessary to build the Cliff Nest in the first week regardless of your resource reserves. You can wait with the upgrade, since the difference between Rocs and Stormbirds lies only in speed and the latter's ability to strike with lightning. At the start of the game, Rocs with their speed of 7 (they can cross the battlefield in 2 turns) will be sufficient. You need to build the Cliff Nest on day 6 or 7 (if you started with a Wolf Den, then on day 6 is fine) and buy all the Rocs on the first day of the second week. You will have at least 6 Rocs, which is enough for a clash with a typical stack of neutral monsters, such as 20-30 2nd-level creatures. After the upgrade, Stormbirds are your fastest monster. They have no obvious drawbacks (though defense could be higher), they fly—so castle walls are not an obstacle—and if the lightning strike triggers, they deal damage comparable to that of 6th-level creatures. This is a multipurpose unit. They can take the first or last turn in a round, depending on your hero's Tactics or the use of Mass Haste. While your Behemoths focus on destroying the most powerful enemy units, Stormbirds handle weaker troops, especially dangerous mid-tier creatures like Crusaders or Vampire Lords. Given that the Cliff Nest is built in the first week, you should accumulate enough Stormbirds to deal with 5th, 6th, and even 7th-level enemies, defeating them through skill or sheer numbers. Cyclops/Cyclops Kings Since building the Cyclops Cave requires a large number of Crystals (which are also required for the Behemoth Den), this dwelling is usually constructed last. Consequently, other cities will have more 6th-level creatures than you. Remember that Kings are much better than ordinary Cyclops. In addition to the +2 Attack, +1 Defense, and +8 Shot bonuses, their clear advantage is a speed of 8 (versus 6). Due to their speed, Kings will act before any other shooters in the game except Titans (and Snipers—translator's note). Let's see what happens when Cyclops or Kings encounter dangerous ground creatures with a speed of 7 (such as Hydras, Naga Queens, or Great Basilisks). Against ordinary Cyclops, these monsters can remain idle in the first round, forcing them to take the first shot from a distance and lose half the potential damage, then perform a rapid double march and close in on the Cyclops, forcing them again to act at half-strength in melee combat. Kings, however, can wait for the enemies' turn, and after they move, deliver two full-power hits in succession (at the end of the 1st round and start of the 2nd). A huge difference. Another important advantage of Kings when storming an enemy castle is their ability to strike walls at an advanced level of Ballistics; thus, they are often used as a second catapult for the rapid destruction of fortifications, since your strong units—Behemoths and Magik Ogres—move by land. Therefore, as soon as you build the Cyclops Cave, upgrade it as quickly as possible, especially since Crystals are not required for this. Cyclops may be the last unit you obtain, but they are extremely necessary. You can do without them while fighting roaming monsters or enemy heroes in the open field, but during a castle siege, you are incapacitated without them. All opponents, AI or human, will target them, so there should not be few of them. 6 is the absolute minimum; 10 is better. Use them wisely. Remember that when attacking an enemy behind a fortress wall, Cyclops lose half their damage due to distance and half of the remainder due to the walls. Thus, potential damage of, say, 200 will be reduced to 50. Therefore, in the first round while the enemy is far away, it is more practical to use Cyclops to strike the walls. This is for the benefit of the Behemoths. Behemoths/Ancient Behemoths Behemoths are unique monsters because the amount of damage they deal is practically independent of the attacking hero's Attack power and the defending hero's and stack's Defense power; in any case, they deal serious damage. Here are two examples: Ancient Behemoths, led by a novice Barbarian with an Attack power of 4, attack Archangels led by a veteran Knight with a Defense power of 20. The AB's Attack power is 23. The Archangels' Defense power is 50, but the Behemoths' special ability reduces it to 10! Therefore, 1 AB will deal 50-82 damage, which is very high for the heroes in question. If a Barbarian with experience similar to the Knight leads the Behemoths, 1 AB will deal 75-125 damage—and that's without considering an additional 30% damage from Expert Offense! On the other hand, all Behemoths have a low Defense level, making them vulnerable despite the 300 HP of the Ancients. Therefore, it is preferable to attack with Behemoths the stack that has already been attacked this round. They are ideal for attacking Archangels or Dragons. Unfortunately, Behemoths are among the slowest 7th-level creatures (only Hydras are slower), and furthermore, they move by land, which is a major disadvantage when storming an enemy castle. Therefore, it is important to find a worthy target for them and attack it.
CONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT
As before, the tips are provided for large and huge maps on very hard and impossible difficulty levels. When playing on impossible, you have neither money nor resources at the start (except in cases where you receive a bonus). Therefore, to build something on the first day, you must immediately move your hero to collect money and resources. If you find a treasure chest, take gold rather than experience. When you discover a Crystal Cave, Sawmill, or Mine, capture them immediately if there is even the slightest chance. You need these resources. On very hard (but not impossible) level, you should hire another hero and equip them with a Spellbook (if they don't have one). Try to find and capture a second Mine and Sawmill. If you start with two towns, focus all your attention on one of them. Build the Town Hall (Prefecture) in the second town as quickly as possible, but then ignore it until you have enough resources. Then build a Mages' Guild, Market, Blacksmith, and City Hall (Municipality) there. Further development of the second town can begin once you have managed to capture the first enemy town, but in this case, it is important to decide if it isn't better to upgrade the captured one, as there are usually already many buildings there and they are quite advanced. Interestingly, there are two different chains for developing dwellings in the Stronghold. In any case, you need Goblin Barracks as a base, but then there are two paths: 1). Wolf Lair - Rock Nest - Behemoth Lair and 2). Orc Tower - Ogre Fort - Cyclops Cave. The first branch consists of fast attackers. You need 13500 Gold + 20 Wood + 10 Crystals for it. The second branch consists of shooters and slow cover, which requires 6500 Gold + 25 Ore + 25 Wood + 20 Crystals. It is better to start with the first branch (you need Rocks); moreover, you might not have 20 Crystals for the Cyclops Cave or even find 20 Wood for the Ogre Fort at the beginning of the game. First Week 1. First level Mages' Guild (acquire Barbarian Book) 2. Town Hall 3. Market 4. Blacksmith 5. City Hall 6. Wolf Lair 7. Rock Nest This costs 14500 Gold, 25 Wood, and 15 Ore. On impossible level, you may be unable to build every day, or the building order may change depending on the availability of certain resources. If 25 Wood is too much for you, you can start immediately with the Town Hall and build the Wolf Lair as a prerequisite for the Rock Nest. Since no Wood is needed to build the latter, it will likely be possible to build it in the first week. If your town already had a Wolf Lair at the start of the game, it makes sense to build the Citadel on the 7th day. Second Week Buy all Rocks for the first (and perhaps second) day of the second week, equip one of your heroes with them (only them), and set out to capture mines within sight. If you are not playing on impossible level, you can try to build the Capitol and Behemoth Lair in the second week. You need to build the Citadel, Castle, and Capitol. If there aren't enough resources for the Behemoth Lair, you can construct the Valhalla Hall, Chaos Hall, Orc Tower, and upgrade it. This upgrade is inexpensive but very practical. The Ogre Fort requires 20 Wood, which may not be sufficient under normal conditions, so you need to find loose wood debris. Wood is in short supply, but if you lack money for the Behemoth Lair, build the Ogre Fort. There is another interesting building - the Slave Market. If you have a severe shortage of resources (Crystals!), but your finances are decent, and you have some not-so-useful roaming monsters in your army (undead, level 1 or 2 creatures, or very slow beings like Stone Golems), you can build this market to sell these creatures for resources. BUT! The Creature/Resource exchange rate depends on the markets available to you (REGULAR, not slave markets). One Market Creature Gold Wood,Ore Other res
Goblin 12 1/21 1/42
Hobgoblin 15 1/17 1/33
Wolf Rider 30 1/6 1/17
Wolf Warrior 42 1/6 1/11
Orc 45 1/6 1/11
Orc Chieftain 50 1/5 1/10
Ogre 90 1/3 1/6
Ogre Mage 120 1/2 1/4
Rock 180 1 1/3
Stormbringer 210 1 1/2
Cyclops 225 1 1/2
Cyclops King 330 1 1/2
Behemoth 450 2 1
Ancient Behemoth 900 4 2
Three Markets Creature Gold Wood,Ore Other res
Goblin 20 1/13 1/25
Hobgoblin 25 1/10 1/20
Wolf Rider 50 1/5 1/10
Wolf Warrior 70 1/4 1/7
Orc 75 1/3 1/7
Orc Chieftain 83 1/3 1/6
Ogre 150 1/2 1/3
Ogre Mage 200 1 1/3
Rock 300 1 1/2
Stormbringer 350 1 1
Cyclops 375 1 1
Cyclops King 550 2 1
Behemoth 750 3 1
Ancient Behemoth 1500 6 3
The exchange rate for two markets is roughly in the middle. When buying resources with money, you pay 2500/5000 Gold per unit at one market. With three markets, these numbers are halved. Thus, it is obvious that the exchange rate at the Slave Market is significantly more favorable than at a regular one. If you have no desire to sell high-level creatures, trade Goblins and Hobgoblins. A first-level dwelling normally provides 15 creatures per week, which does not strengthen your army much. Of course, the Slave Market is not the place to buy resources in large quantities. Third Week If you don't have a Behemoth Lair yet, you need to build it. Building the Stronghold in the early stages usually causes no problems, but difficulties begin afterward. A resource store will not give you additional Crystals, which are so necessary for erecting the Cyclops Cave. You need an upgrade for the Wolf Lair, but even with a low cost (1000 Gold + 5 Wood + 5 Ore), you must first upgrade the Barracks at the same price. So the true cost of the upgrade is 2000 Gold + 10 Wood + 10 Ore, which is not much in money, but significant in resources. The Cyclops Cave requires not only 20 Crystals but also 20 Ore. There may not be enough Wood (20) for the Ogre Fort. Plus, 10 Wood and 10 Ore are needed to upgrade the Behemoth Lair (not counting 20 Crystals and 15000 Gold). All this means that you will likely fail to erect all of it during the third week. If you can build the Cyclops Cave, forget about upgrading the Behemoth Lair this week. It is unlikely that you will have 20 Crystals at your disposal, so it makes sense to buy them at the market. You can sell all Mercury and all Sulfur and almost all Gems (leaving a few for the Ogre Fort upgrade). Forget about the 2nd and 3rd levels of the Mages' Guild. They will take all your Crystals, and the spells obtained will hardly help you in battles. If you found 20 Crystals and Ore to build the Cyclops Cave and still have ore left, what should you do with it? Most likely, the Orc Tower upgrade is already done (this is important). Upgrading the Wolf Lair is very useful, but for that, a Goblin Barracks upgrade is required. So if you have a little Ore left, upgrade the Ogre Fort; if a bit more - then both the Ogre Fort and the Cyclops Cave. Fourth Week Upgrade the remaining dwellings. Ensure there is enough for the Behemoth Lair upgrade. Trade at the markets. You need Crystals not only for upgrades but also to acquire Ancient Behemoths, so you will have to wait to build the 2nd and 3rd levels of the Mages' Guild.
FORCES
Your fastest unit is the Stormbringer with a speed of 11, so all towns, except for the Tower (depending on the surface where the battle takes place and who is attacking), will have initiative in combat. They can attack quickly or wait. They can immediately cast a mass spell, or they can wait until you do. But you also have an advantage. Your slowest unit has a speed of 5, so the difference between the fastest and slowest is only 6. Mass Haste gives a speed bonus of +5 (Terek, who has the Haste specialty, gets even more). The result is as follows: Stormbringers have a speed of 11. When it's their turn, you cast Mass Haste, and your SLOWEST unit gains a speed of 10 (and for Terek, even 11 or 12). After this, you get the right to move all your units in succession, WITHOUT GIVING THE OPPONENT A SINGLE TURN. If they have a unit capable of fitting into the gap between your creatures, you can direct aggression toward it and destroy it preemptively. Having Tactics helps a lot, as you can not only move your troops closer to the enemy (specifically Ogre Mages) but also use terrain features. At the same time, you can move your shooters closer to the enemy so they fire at full strength if you apply Mass Haste and are sure the opponent will not present any unpleasant surprises. What can the opponent do? They may have Tactics at a higher level than you and prevent you from positioning your troops as you wish. They may immediately cast some destructive spell. They may have artifacts that prevent you from applying Mass Haste in time, specifically those increasing their units' speed (the Sphere of Suppression is rare; besides, it only benefits Barbarians, doesn't it?). Let's look at the situation through your opponent's eyes. You encounter a Castle army (not in a town). Suppose you have the tactical advantage and positioned your troops as you saw fit. It is the opponent's turn, and they have little choice - usually, they leave Archangels on wait. Since their next unit has a speed of 9, it is the turn of your Stormbringers (11), and you can immediately apply Mass Haste, allowing you to move all your units in succession, sowing confusion and panic in the enemy camp. Of course, the opponent can cast some spell immediately, but what can they realistically oppose? Strike with some attack magic? No problem. Mass Slow? No problem, either if you have the Resistance skill or if you position your troops out of reach (in one turn) of enemy units (except Archangels) and beyond a 10-cell distance from shooters. Blindness? Of course, it's bad if they do this to your Behemoths, but in that case, initiative passes to you, and you can, for example, apply Mass Slow, and at the start of the second round - Cure or Dispel on the Behemoths. There are only two spells dangerous to you: 1). Mass Haste. The enemy applies it immediately and attacks with several units (not all), dealing a lot of damage and possibly permanently crippling some of your valuable units. A weak consolation is that magical initiative is now on your side, and you can apply Mass Slow as soon as it's your turn. 2). Mass Prayer. This is even worse, as the enemy deals significantly more damage, and you will likely fail to oppose anything immediately. So when playing as Stronghold, you need the Haste spell with expert skill in Air Magic and Tactics. The Resistance skill is also strongly recommended, which is not too hard to get. Against this backdrop, Terek looks good, as he starts with Tactics, a Haste specialty, and the Haste spell in his book, so you don't depend on the Mages' Guild to learn it! When storming an enemy castle, the picture is different. The combination of Tactics and Mass Haste does not work as well (at least at first) due to fortress walls and the moat. You have one flying unit and two shooting units for immediate attack, but this is not enough to take a well-defended city. Therefore, you must destroy the castle walls as quickly as possible. The Ballistics skill at advanced or expert level plays a significant role. Earthquake with an expert skill in Earth Magic is also good, but you're unlikely to have this spell (third level of the Guild!). Teleport and expert Water Magic are good, but you'll likely not study this school of magic. So use your Cyclops as additional catapults to destroy walls. If you have a free stack, split the Cyclops (but do this only during a siege; in a regular battle, split the Ogres!). In this case, you can make a breach in the wall very quickly. Leave all your units on wait except for the Cyclops. Do not cast spells too early. The opponent might blind the Behemoths, and you will be unable to oppose it. As soon as a gap appears in the wall, move the Behemoths there. In this case, you can also deliver a successful strike with Stormbringers at the end of the round. Additionally, the enemy hero may not be experienced enough and lack mass spells. Attack while casting Mass Haste (or Slow). The movement order of your units is: Stormbringers, Ancient Behemoths, Wolf Warriors, Cyclops Kings, Hobgoblins, Ogre Mages, Orc Chieftains. Thus, you have no unit capable of acting as a kamikaze, striking first to absorb the counterattack. For the first strike, Hobgoblins would work as kamikazes or Ogre Mages due to their endurance, but these are some of your slowest units. Therefore, it is a good idea to place Cyclops Kings to the left of the Wolves so they attack before them. This will give you the opportunity to weaken a potentially strong enemy stack before the Wolf attack. Do not allow an enemy stack to survive in small numbers, as it will then act as a kamikaze and absorb the counterattack. Some Stronghold heroes can increase the speed of individual units: Gretchen accelerates Hobgoblins to 8 (and later to 9), making them faster than Wolf Warriors and even Behemoths, which is good; Tiraxor accelerates Wolf Warriors to the level of Behemoths or even faster, allowing them to attack before Behemoths, but this is NOT RECOMMENDED, so place Wolves to the right of Behemoths. Terek accelerates units simply magnificently. For example, after 14th level, his Mass Haste will have the following effect: Stormbringers 17 (+6), Wolf Warriors 16 (+8), Hobgoblins 15 (+8), Cyclops Kings 14 (+6), Ancient Behemoths 14 (+5), Orc Chieftains 12 (+7), Ogre Mages 12 (+7). With this, you get complete freedom of action and can move Hobgoblins and Wolves before Behemoths, so the Wolves can deliver their double strike to a unit attacked by Stormbringers.
With a fully built town and all upgrades, you can recruit 2370 Combat Points per week, ranking fourth among all towns. (Sylvan gives 2650, Conflux - 2588, Tower - 2420; in last place is Inferno - 2035). For your CP, you pay 24530 Gold + 2 Crystals, which averages to 10.35, and this is quite cheap (only Sylvan is cheaper at 10.05, while Inferno is 13.8). All your creatures deal decent damage in attack but are very vulnerable in defense. Building the town is cheap, but only in terms of money. To build all upgraded dwellings (including the fort, tavern, castle, and capitol), you need 80200 Gold (the lowest of all), but this is supplemented by 132 Ore (the highest of all), second place for wood - 137 (after Fortress) and many Crystals (50). On the other hand, you only need 5 Gems and have absolutely no need for Mercury or Sulfur. Building all structures in the Stronghold is also very cheap - 92200 Gold.
HEROES
Your heroes are the Barbarian (might) and the Battle Mage (magic). Battle Mages develop their primary skills balancedly, while Barbarians are pure representatives of an attacking style, and their Knowledge and Power remain underdeveloped. A typical 19th-level Battle Mage looks like 7 5 6 5, and a Barbarian - 12 5 4 3 (without any artifacts or visiting map objects). All Barbarians have the secondary skill Offense, all Battle Mages have the Wisdom skill. Barbarians cannot learn Water Magic, and Battle Mages cannot learn Navigation. Barbarians rarely master Diplomacy, Eagle Eye, Financier, Fire Magic, Intelligence, Navigation, First Aid, Necromancy, Scholar, Sorcery, and Wisdom. There are high chances of getting Air Magic, Earth Magic, Training, Luck, and Mysticism. Battle Mages infrequently study Financier, Fire Magic, Luck, and Necromancy, while Ballistics, Eagle Eye, Intelligence, Logistics (highest probability), Offense, Sorcery, and Tactics are characteristic for them. Stronghold heroes usually have a secondary skill set like this: Wisdom, Earth Magic, Air Magic, Logistics, Tactics, Ballistics, Offense, and Resistance. Resistance is very important, as its presence means that if the enemy uses mass spells on your units, NOT ALL of them will be affected by the magic. On maps dominated by very rugged terrain, the Pathfinder skill will be useful. If there is a chance to learn Water Magic (from the University or Witch's Hut) - do it! If you have a choice, take a Battle Mage rather than a Barbarian. In the process of reaching tenth level, a Barbarian will receive at most one increase to Power or Knowledge (but not both at once). There is an opinion that Battle Mages are ineffective due to restrictions in building the Mages' Guild, but this is incorrect. You need expert skill in Air Magic, Mass Haste and expert in Earth Magic plus some amount of Power and Knowledge so that the spells you cast last more than one turn, and so that more than one spell can be cast in a single battle. Thus, Battle Mages are more acceptable. The best choice is Terrek, but Saurug, Dessa, Wei, and Gundula are not inferior. Everyone knows how important it is to increase the hero's primary skills. Another important thing: until you have the advanced Town Portal spell, you need to have AT LEAST TWO GOOD HEROES. One for exploration and capturing objects, another for defending the starting town. One of the problems when playing on impossible level is that you cannot afford to take experience from found treasure chests in the first week, as you need gold. This leaves your hero without secondary skills and without primary growth. Therefore, you must use every opportunity to train the hero. FIGHT ALL ROAMING MONSTERS that you can defeat, even for 100 - 200 experience points. Visit every object. Do not pass by Mills, as they give you 1000 (500) Gold and resources once a week. Capture any mine encountered on the way, even at the cost of most of your meager army. It will pay off. Take every artifact, but only if it is free of charge, that is for nothing (for free). Artifacts can be bought only after you have a Capitol.
SPELLS
Magic is a blind spot for you; do not forget about it. You can build only 3 levels of the Mages' Guild, your Might hero does not always study Wisdom, and your Magic hero usually has only two schools - Air and Earth. Therefore, your task in any scenario is to capture an enemy castle with a well-developed Mages' Guild. You need new spells! Besides 4th and 5th level spells, you will not encounter two necro-spells (Raise Dead and Death Wave) in the Stronghold, nor Curse. Barbarians cannot learn Water Magic, and it is also rare for Battle Mages, so your heroes will not be able to use any mass spells except Haste and Slow. Therefore, if the enemy uses, for example, Mass Curse, you will not be able to counter this with either Mass Heal or Mass Dispel. With a three-level limit on the Mages' Guild, you will have very few useful spells. The most important is Haste. Slow is also useful, and Stone Skin and Shield are good in prolonged battles. When storming castles or in battles with armies equipped with good shooters (Tower, Dungeon, or Castle), Air Shield (mass, of course) can be useful. Anti-Magic helps in many situations; in some cases when storming castles, Earthquake will be useful. Even if you manage to get Water Magic, Teleport will not be that useful. The only benefit of its use is trying to move Behemoths across the castle wall, but even in such a situation other spells can be used with greater efficiency.
CREATURES
Goblins/Hobgoblins Goblins and their swift brethren, Hobgoblins, are among the weakest first-level creatures. However, they are some of the fastest in their class, which can be significant in the late stages of the game when Hobgoblins accumulate in large numbers. Although upgrading the Goblin Barracks is very useful, it requires 5 Wood and 5 Ore—resources that are scarce early in the game—so you will not be able to do it quickly. You should not buy Goblins in the early stages of the game. Let them accumulate so they can later be hired as Hobgoblins. The high speed of the latter, combined with their numbers, is very useful in the late stages of the game. If the opponent does not stop them, they can even block enemy shooters by utilizing the same reduction in attack power that occurs in melee combat. Hobgoblins can also be used to initiate attacks on strong enemy units, absorbing their counterattack, or to finish off groups already attacked in the current round. Wolf Riders/Wolf Warriors These creatures vividly demonstrate both the strength and weakness of the Stronghold. While Wolf Riders are merely very weak 2nd-level units with average speed, Wolf Warriors are fast-attacking monsters who are extremely vulnerable when they are the ones being attacked. The problem is that you cannot upgrade them quickly, as you first need to upgrade the Goblin Barracks (costing 5 Wood and Ore), and only then find another 5 Wood and Ore, which is difficult to achieve early in the game. As with Goblins, do not hire Wolf Riders in the early stages; they are very vulnerable. Increase their numbers, perform the upgrade, and hire only Wolf Warriors. High speed, double attack, and a relatively high Attack stat (which, when doubled, exceeds that of many Stronghold creatures) make Wolf Warriors dangerous to any enemy creature. If you use them for the first attack of the round on an enemy stack, ensure they can destroy at least two-thirds of the creatures in it with the first hit. But that is in theory. In practice, such a case occurs very rarely, so try to destroy at least a quarter of the enemy stack with the Wolf Warriors' first strike. There is an exception to this rule: you can attack without dealing such damage if the strike is against enemy shooters who have limited strength in melee combat. However, it is still better to strike stacks that have already been attacked, as the double attack of Wolf Warriors will be most effective due to the absence of an enemy counterattack. Let's provide an example of the offensive and defensive capabilities of Wolf Warriors against high-level monsters. Suppose 60 WW encounter 10 Scorpicorns. The Scorpicorns have already been attacked this round, so they will not counterattack. The Attack/Defense ratio between them is -6, but it should be noted that the attack power of a Stronghold hero is significantly higher than the defense of an underground hero, so we will assume this ratio to be zero. Both hits delivered by WW will deal 180-240 damage each, which would destroy an average of 5 Scorpicorns—not bad at all. Let's see what happens if the Scorpicorns counterattack. The first hit from WW kills 2 Scorpicorns; the remaining 8 counterattack. The Attack/Defense ratio here will be 11, and since the defensive capabilities of Stronghold heroes will not exceed the attack power of an Overlord (or may even be lower), it could increase further. Thus, 8 Scorpicorns will deal 112-160 damage (or even 173-248), destroying 17-24 WW with a probability of paralyzing them. The remaining ~40 WW deliver the second hit (120-160 damage), destroying another 2 Scorpicorns. As we can see, in the second example, WW attack with almost the same efficiency, but their losses amount to a third of the total number, which is quite significant. Of course, when encountering an underground army, you may find that Evil Eyes are a much more acceptable target for WW, regardless of whether they counterattacked this round or not. Let 60 WW attack 45 EE. The Attack/Defense ratio is +6 (with the same heroes as above), so the first hit from WW will cause 234-312 damage, destroying 10-14 EE (roughly a quarter of the total). The Attack/Defense ratio for EE will be +5, so the remaining 33 EE will deal 124-206 damage, killing 12-20 WW (we'll assume 16). The surviving 44 WW will deliver 171-228 damage on the second attack, killing another 8-10 EE. Thus, WW destroyed half of the enemy stack while losing only a quarter of their own (remember that EE do not lose strength in melee combat!). Moreover, every Stronghold hero can be an expert in Offense, which would add 30% to the WW's attack! Ideally, WW should attack an enemy stack already hit by Magik Ogres, but this is not always possible due to the latter's low speed. To enhance the attacking ability of WW, you can split Magik Ogres into two stacks, one of which casts Bloodlust on the WW, but this is also not always possible because in most cases you will lack magical initiative. If you leave WW exposed to a hit, they will melt before your eyes like ice under the sun, so try to protect them by all possible means. All the above means that WW are not "trash" monsters like many low-level creatures (such as Zombies). On the battlefield, WW can perform various tasks, often turning the tide of battle in your favor. Orcs/Orc Chieftains The first of your two shooting units is essentially a 2nd-level monster, only with increased HP. They do not deal much damage, and the 20 HP of Chieftains is unimpressive due to their low defense level. When you get the Orc Tower, upgrade it as quickly as possible, and if you buy Chieftains, buy them in large numbers. With a speed of 5, they will most often shoot from a significant distance, dealing only half of the potential damage. In large numbers, however, they are more effective, as they force enemy monsters to close in on them faster, allowing your Magik Ogres to make their presence felt sooner. Ogres/Magik Ogres Ogres, and especially Magik Ogres, have a good amount of durability. Unfortunately, building their dwelling requires many resources—20 Wood—so this likely won't happen before the third week. Before building the Ogre Fort, ensure you have enough resources for a quick upgrade. Do not purchase ordinary Ogres. Magik Ogres not only have 50% more HP and +1 speed but also possess the ability to cast Bloodlust on friendly troops once per round (no more than three times per battle). If your army has Magik Ogres and not all 7 stacks are occupied, it makes sense to split them into two (or even more) stacks: one containing the main mass, and others with 1-2 Magik Ogres for casting spells (or to be used as kamikazes to absorb an enemy counterattack). The high attacking and defensive capabilities of Ogres and Magik Ogres allow them to deal serious damage to the enemy. They are very good for delivering the first strike, but unfortunately, their speed is low; therefore, they are primary candidates for the Haste spell (or Mass Haste), but if for some reason you don't do this, position them between Cyclops and Orcs to serve as bodyguards for the shooters. In general, Magik Ogres should be brought into battle as quickly as possible, as they represent a serious threat even to own non-strong 7th-level monsters (such as Ghost Dragons). Rocs/Stormbirds These are your most important monsters. It is necessary to build the Cliff Nest in the first week regardless of your resource reserves. You can wait with the upgrade, since the difference between Rocs and Stormbirds lies only in speed and the latter's ability to strike with lightning. At the start of the game, Rocs with their speed of 7 (they can cross the battlefield in 2 turns) will be sufficient. You need to build the Cliff Nest on day 6 or 7 (if you started with a Wolf Den, then on day 6 is fine) and buy all the Rocs on the first day of the second week. You will have at least 6 Rocs, which is enough for a clash with a typical stack of neutral monsters, such as 20-30 2nd-level creatures. After the upgrade, Stormbirds are your fastest monster. They have no obvious drawbacks (though defense could be higher), they fly—so castle walls are not an obstacle—and if the lightning strike triggers, they deal damage comparable to that of 6th-level creatures. This is a multipurpose unit. They can take the first or last turn in a round, depending on your hero's Tactics or the use of Mass Haste. While your Behemoths focus on destroying the most powerful enemy units, Stormbirds handle weaker troops, especially dangerous mid-tier creatures like Crusaders or Vampire Lords. Given that the Cliff Nest is built in the first week, you should accumulate enough Stormbirds to deal with 5th, 6th, and even 7th-level enemies, defeating them through skill or sheer numbers. Cyclops/Cyclops Kings Since building the Cyclops Cave requires a large number of Crystals (which are also required for the Behemoth Den), this dwelling is usually constructed last. Consequently, other cities will have more 6th-level creatures than you. Remember that Kings are much better than ordinary Cyclops. In addition to the +2 Attack, +1 Defense, and +8 Shot bonuses, their clear advantage is a speed of 8 (versus 6). Due to their speed, Kings will act before any other shooters in the game except Titans (and Snipers—translator's note). Let's see what happens when Cyclops or Kings encounter dangerous ground creatures with a speed of 7 (such as Hydras, Naga Queens, or Great Basilisks). Against ordinary Cyclops, these monsters can remain idle in the first round, forcing them to take the first shot from a distance and lose half the potential damage, then perform a rapid double march and close in on the Cyclops, forcing them again to act at half-strength in melee combat. Kings, however, can wait for the enemies' turn, and after they move, deliver two full-power hits in succession (at the end of the 1st round and start of the 2nd). A huge difference. Another important advantage of Kings when storming an enemy castle is their ability to strike walls at an advanced level of Ballistics; thus, they are often used as a second catapult for the rapid destruction of fortifications, since your strong units—Behemoths and Magik Ogres—move by land. Therefore, as soon as you build the Cyclops Cave, upgrade it as quickly as possible, especially since Crystals are not required for this. Cyclops may be the last unit you obtain, but they are extremely necessary. You can do without them while fighting roaming monsters or enemy heroes in the open field, but during a castle siege, you are incapacitated without them. All opponents, AI or human, will target them, so there should not be few of them. 6 is the absolute minimum; 10 is better. Use them wisely. Remember that when attacking an enemy behind a fortress wall, Cyclops lose half their damage due to distance and half of the remainder due to the walls. Thus, potential damage of, say, 200 will be reduced to 50. Therefore, in the first round while the enemy is far away, it is more practical to use Cyclops to strike the walls. This is for the benefit of the Behemoths. Behemoths/Ancient Behemoths Behemoths are unique monsters because the amount of damage they deal is practically independent of the attacking hero's Attack power and the defending hero's and stack's Defense power; in any case, they deal serious damage. Here are two examples: Ancient Behemoths, led by a novice Barbarian with an Attack power of 4, attack Archangels led by a veteran Knight with a Defense power of 20. The AB's Attack power is 23. The Archangels' Defense power is 50, but the Behemoths' special ability reduces it to 10! Therefore, 1 AB will deal 50-82 damage, which is very high for the heroes in question. If a Barbarian with experience similar to the Knight leads the Behemoths, 1 AB will deal 75-125 damage—and that's without considering an additional 30% damage from Expert Offense! On the other hand, all Behemoths have a low Defense level, making them vulnerable despite the 300 HP of the Ancients. Therefore, it is preferable to attack with Behemoths the stack that has already been attacked this round. They are ideal for attacking Archangels or Dragons. Unfortunately, Behemoths are among the slowest 7th-level creatures (only Hydras are slower), and furthermore, they move by land, which is a major disadvantage when storming an enemy castle. Therefore, it is important to find a worthy target for them and attack it.
CONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT
As before, the tips are provided for large and huge maps on very hard and impossible difficulty levels. When playing on impossible, you have neither money nor resources at the start (except in cases where you receive a bonus). Therefore, to build something on the first day, you must immediately move your hero to collect money and resources. If you find a treasure chest, take gold rather than experience. When you discover a Crystal Cave, Sawmill, or Mine, capture them immediately if there is even the slightest chance. You need these resources. On very hard (but not impossible) level, you should hire another hero and equip them with a Spellbook (if they don't have one). Try to find and capture a second Mine and Sawmill. If you start with two towns, focus all your attention on one of them. Build the Town Hall (Prefecture) in the second town as quickly as possible, but then ignore it until you have enough resources. Then build a Mages' Guild, Market, Blacksmith, and City Hall (Municipality) there. Further development of the second town can begin once you have managed to capture the first enemy town, but in this case, it is important to decide if it isn't better to upgrade the captured one, as there are usually already many buildings there and they are quite advanced. Interestingly, there are two different chains for developing dwellings in the Stronghold. In any case, you need Goblin Barracks as a base, but then there are two paths: 1). Wolf Lair - Rock Nest - Behemoth Lair and 2). Orc Tower - Ogre Fort - Cyclops Cave. The first branch consists of fast attackers. You need 13500 Gold + 20 Wood + 10 Crystals for it. The second branch consists of shooters and slow cover, which requires 6500 Gold + 25 Ore + 25 Wood + 20 Crystals. It is better to start with the first branch (you need Rocks); moreover, you might not have 20 Crystals for the Cyclops Cave or even find 20 Wood for the Ogre Fort at the beginning of the game. First Week 1. First level Mages' Guild (acquire Barbarian Book) 2. Town Hall 3. Market 4. Blacksmith 5. City Hall 6. Wolf Lair 7. Rock Nest This costs 14500 Gold, 25 Wood, and 15 Ore. On impossible level, you may be unable to build every day, or the building order may change depending on the availability of certain resources. If 25 Wood is too much for you, you can start immediately with the Town Hall and build the Wolf Lair as a prerequisite for the Rock Nest. Since no Wood is needed to build the latter, it will likely be possible to build it in the first week. If your town already had a Wolf Lair at the start of the game, it makes sense to build the Citadel on the 7th day. Second Week Buy all Rocks for the first (and perhaps second) day of the second week, equip one of your heroes with them (only them), and set out to capture mines within sight. If you are not playing on impossible level, you can try to build the Capitol and Behemoth Lair in the second week. You need to build the Citadel, Castle, and Capitol. If there aren't enough resources for the Behemoth Lair, you can construct the Valhalla Hall, Chaos Hall, Orc Tower, and upgrade it. This upgrade is inexpensive but very practical. The Ogre Fort requires 20 Wood, which may not be sufficient under normal conditions, so you need to find loose wood debris. Wood is in short supply, but if you lack money for the Behemoth Lair, build the Ogre Fort. There is another interesting building - the Slave Market. If you have a severe shortage of resources (Crystals!), but your finances are decent, and you have some not-so-useful roaming monsters in your army (undead, level 1 or 2 creatures, or very slow beings like Stone Golems), you can build this market to sell these creatures for resources. BUT! The Creature/Resource exchange rate depends on the markets available to you (REGULAR, not slave markets). One Market Creature Gold Wood,Ore Other res
Goblin 12 1/21 1/42
Hobgoblin 15 1/17 1/33
Wolf Rider 30 1/6 1/17
Wolf Warrior 42 1/6 1/11
Orc 45 1/6 1/11
Orc Chieftain 50 1/5 1/10
Ogre 90 1/3 1/6
Ogre Mage 120 1/2 1/4
Rock 180 1 1/3
Stormbringer 210 1 1/2
Cyclops 225 1 1/2
Cyclops King 330 1 1/2
Behemoth 450 2 1
Ancient Behemoth 900 4 2
Three Markets Creature Gold Wood,Ore Other res
Goblin 20 1/13 1/25
Hobgoblin 25 1/10 1/20
Wolf Rider 50 1/5 1/10
Wolf Warrior 70 1/4 1/7
Orc 75 1/3 1/7
Orc Chieftain 83 1/3 1/6
Ogre 150 1/2 1/3
Ogre Mage 200 1 1/3
Rock 300 1 1/2
Stormbringer 350 1 1
Cyclops 375 1 1
Cyclops King 550 2 1
Behemoth 750 3 1
Ancient Behemoth 1500 6 3
The exchange rate for two markets is roughly in the middle. When buying resources with money, you pay 2500/5000 Gold per unit at one market. With three markets, these numbers are halved. Thus, it is obvious that the exchange rate at the Slave Market is significantly more favorable than at a regular one. If you have no desire to sell high-level creatures, trade Goblins and Hobgoblins. A first-level dwelling normally provides 15 creatures per week, which does not strengthen your army much. Of course, the Slave Market is not the place to buy resources in large quantities. Third Week If you don't have a Behemoth Lair yet, you need to build it. Building the Stronghold in the early stages usually causes no problems, but difficulties begin afterward. A resource store will not give you additional Crystals, which are so necessary for erecting the Cyclops Cave. You need an upgrade for the Wolf Lair, but even with a low cost (1000 Gold + 5 Wood + 5 Ore), you must first upgrade the Barracks at the same price. So the true cost of the upgrade is 2000 Gold + 10 Wood + 10 Ore, which is not much in money, but significant in resources. The Cyclops Cave requires not only 20 Crystals but also 20 Ore. There may not be enough Wood (20) for the Ogre Fort. Plus, 10 Wood and 10 Ore are needed to upgrade the Behemoth Lair (not counting 20 Crystals and 15000 Gold). All this means that you will likely fail to erect all of it during the third week. If you can build the Cyclops Cave, forget about upgrading the Behemoth Lair this week. It is unlikely that you will have 20 Crystals at your disposal, so it makes sense to buy them at the market. You can sell all Mercury and all Sulfur and almost all Gems (leaving a few for the Ogre Fort upgrade). Forget about the 2nd and 3rd levels of the Mages' Guild. They will take all your Crystals, and the spells obtained will hardly help you in battles. If you found 20 Crystals and Ore to build the Cyclops Cave and still have ore left, what should you do with it? Most likely, the Orc Tower upgrade is already done (this is important). Upgrading the Wolf Lair is very useful, but for that, a Goblin Barracks upgrade is required. So if you have a little Ore left, upgrade the Ogre Fort; if a bit more - then both the Ogre Fort and the Cyclops Cave. Fourth Week Upgrade the remaining dwellings. Ensure there is enough for the Behemoth Lair upgrade. Trade at the markets. You need Crystals not only for upgrades but also to acquire Ancient Behemoths, so you will have to wait to build the 2nd and 3rd levels of the Mages' Guild.
FORCES
Your fastest unit is the Stormbringer with a speed of 11, so all towns, except for the Tower (depending on the surface where the battle takes place and who is attacking), will have initiative in combat. They can attack quickly or wait. They can immediately cast a mass spell, or they can wait until you do. But you also have an advantage. Your slowest unit has a speed of 5, so the difference between the fastest and slowest is only 6. Mass Haste gives a speed bonus of +5 (Terek, who has the Haste specialty, gets even more). The result is as follows: Stormbringers have a speed of 11. When it's their turn, you cast Mass Haste, and your SLOWEST unit gains a speed of 10 (and for Terek, even 11 or 12). After this, you get the right to move all your units in succession, WITHOUT GIVING THE OPPONENT A SINGLE TURN. If they have a unit capable of fitting into the gap between your creatures, you can direct aggression toward it and destroy it preemptively. Having Tactics helps a lot, as you can not only move your troops closer to the enemy (specifically Ogre Mages) but also use terrain features. At the same time, you can move your shooters closer to the enemy so they fire at full strength if you apply Mass Haste and are sure the opponent will not present any unpleasant surprises. What can the opponent do? They may have Tactics at a higher level than you and prevent you from positioning your troops as you wish. They may immediately cast some destructive spell. They may have artifacts that prevent you from applying Mass Haste in time, specifically those increasing their units' speed (the Sphere of Suppression is rare; besides, it only benefits Barbarians, doesn't it?). Let's look at the situation through your opponent's eyes. You encounter a Castle army (not in a town). Suppose you have the tactical advantage and positioned your troops as you saw fit. It is the opponent's turn, and they have little choice - usually, they leave Archangels on wait. Since their next unit has a speed of 9, it is the turn of your Stormbringers (11), and you can immediately apply Mass Haste, allowing you to move all your units in succession, sowing confusion and panic in the enemy camp. Of course, the opponent can cast some spell immediately, but what can they realistically oppose? Strike with some attack magic? No problem. Mass Slow? No problem, either if you have the Resistance skill or if you position your troops out of reach (in one turn) of enemy units (except Archangels) and beyond a 10-cell distance from shooters. Blindness? Of course, it's bad if they do this to your Behemoths, but in that case, initiative passes to you, and you can, for example, apply Mass Slow, and at the start of the second round - Cure or Dispel on the Behemoths. There are only two spells dangerous to you: 1). Mass Haste. The enemy applies it immediately and attacks with several units (not all), dealing a lot of damage and possibly permanently crippling some of your valuable units. A weak consolation is that magical initiative is now on your side, and you can apply Mass Slow as soon as it's your turn. 2). Mass Prayer. This is even worse, as the enemy deals significantly more damage, and you will likely fail to oppose anything immediately. So when playing as Stronghold, you need the Haste spell with expert skill in Air Magic and Tactics. The Resistance skill is also strongly recommended, which is not too hard to get. Against this backdrop, Terek looks good, as he starts with Tactics, a Haste specialty, and the Haste spell in his book, so you don't depend on the Mages' Guild to learn it! When storming an enemy castle, the picture is different. The combination of Tactics and Mass Haste does not work as well (at least at first) due to fortress walls and the moat. You have one flying unit and two shooting units for immediate attack, but this is not enough to take a well-defended city. Therefore, you must destroy the castle walls as quickly as possible. The Ballistics skill at advanced or expert level plays a significant role. Earthquake with an expert skill in Earth Magic is also good, but you're unlikely to have this spell (third level of the Guild!). Teleport and expert Water Magic are good, but you'll likely not study this school of magic. So use your Cyclops as additional catapults to destroy walls. If you have a free stack, split the Cyclops (but do this only during a siege; in a regular battle, split the Ogres!). In this case, you can make a breach in the wall very quickly. Leave all your units on wait except for the Cyclops. Do not cast spells too early. The opponent might blind the Behemoths, and you will be unable to oppose it. As soon as a gap appears in the wall, move the Behemoths there. In this case, you can also deliver a successful strike with Stormbringers at the end of the round. Additionally, the enemy hero may not be experienced enough and lack mass spells. Attack while casting Mass Haste (or Slow). The movement order of your units is: Stormbringers, Ancient Behemoths, Wolf Warriors, Cyclops Kings, Hobgoblins, Ogre Mages, Orc Chieftains. Thus, you have no unit capable of acting as a kamikaze, striking first to absorb the counterattack. For the first strike, Hobgoblins would work as kamikazes or Ogre Mages due to their endurance, but these are some of your slowest units. Therefore, it is a good idea to place Cyclops Kings to the left of the Wolves so they attack before them. This will give you the opportunity to weaken a potentially strong enemy stack before the Wolf attack. Do not allow an enemy stack to survive in small numbers, as it will then act as a kamikaze and absorb the counterattack. Some Stronghold heroes can increase the speed of individual units: Gretchen accelerates Hobgoblins to 8 (and later to 9), making them faster than Wolf Warriors and even Behemoths, which is good; Tiraxor accelerates Wolf Warriors to the level of Behemoths or even faster, allowing them to attack before Behemoths, but this is NOT RECOMMENDED, so place Wolves to the right of Behemoths. Terek accelerates units simply magnificently. For example, after 14th level, his Mass Haste will have the following effect: Stormbringers 17 (+6), Wolf Warriors 16 (+8), Hobgoblins 15 (+8), Cyclops Kings 14 (+6), Ancient Behemoths 14 (+5), Orc Chieftains 12 (+7), Ogre Mages 12 (+7). With this, you get complete freedom of action and can move Hobgoblins and Wolves before Behemoths, so the Wolves can deliver their double strike to a unit attacked by Stormbringers.
